Barcelona thrash Sporting Gijon 6-1 to go atop La Liga Standings

TIL Desk Sports/ Barcelona thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 to go top of La Liga on a dramatic night in Spain on Wednesday as Luis Enrique announced he was stepping down as the Catalan club’s coach at the end of the season.

Barca sneaked ahead of arch-rivals Real Madrid in La Liga after Zinedine Zidane’s side came from behind with 10 men following the sending-off of Gareth Bale to draw 3-3 at home to Las Palmas thanks to two late strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo. Lionel Messi scored for the fifth league game in a row to put Barca ahead in the ninth minute, heading Javier Mascherano’s floated pass over goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar.

Sporting defender Juan Rodriguez clumsily knocked Luis Suarez’s angled shot into his own net to double Barca’s advantage two minutes later, but Carlos Castro pulled one back for the visitors in the 21st minute from close range. Suarez restored Barca’s two-goal lead by ruthlessly volleying home and the Uruguayan was taken off at halftime, replaced by Paco Alcacer who got the fourth goal early in the second half following a layoff from Messi.